Future Optimist

Daniel Tonkopi is a Ukrainian serial entrepreneur who has forged his own, eco-friendly and thoroughly unique path through life. Watch this episode on YouTube Episode Highlights: beattheoftenpath.com He’s traveled extensively in his career, and now he has a business based in Los Angeles and Kyiv, Ukraine. A series of business ideas led him to founding his current company, Delfast bikes. But this isn’t your ordinary e-bike. Delfast has the Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled on a single charge, with a range of 200+ miles. The bike also has a max speed of 50mph, making it far and away the most powerful in its class. In light of the current situation, they’re also donating 5% of all sales to support Ukraine. Daniel has such an inspiring story of triumphing over failure and staying true to his roots.

Edward Soffer calls himself an “intropreneur” at Interactive Brokers. Heavily involved in finance, Edward saw a few years back that he wasn’t focusing his attention on what really mattered to him: sustainability. Watch this episode on YouTube Episode Highlights: beattheoftenpath.com With 20 years of experience in financial services, Eddy initiated the IMPACT app at Interactive Brokers, a publicly traded company with billions in capital. Eddy works in what’s called ESG, or Environmental, Social, and Governance. He has spearheaded technology that makes it easier for consumers to understand exactly what they’re investing in, so they can only support companies and missions they believe in. He’s proof that you can facilitate change within your company, and I think you’re going to really get a lot out of this conversation, I know I did. 

On this show, I’ve given you boatloads of examples of people who turned their unique passion into a career. Today we tap into the wide world of birding with my guest, Scott Whittle. Watch this episode on YouTube All episodes: beattheoftenpath.com Scott has turned his passion for birds into a start-up with far-reaching implications for conservation and human wellbeing. His company, Terra, allows you to listen to the birds outside your home and identify them, including migratory patterns and more. Through his device, you can enjoy the sounds of nature in your own home or learn a ton more about the world all around you. If I’m underselling this just wait until you find out the full scope of his idea.

Andres Avello grew up in Florida, where the water was a big part of everyday life. Discover how his life took a series of unexpected twists and turns, leading to him leaving a great and stable career to build a business. Watch this episode on YouTube All episodes: beattheoftenpath.com Andres knew he was meant to build a company, and he knew he was meant to do something with the water. Now he’s built a company called PADL that offers first-of-its-kind paddle board and kayak rentals all over Florida and soon the world. Just subscribe, and unlock the board at any location, take it out, return it, and lock it back up. It’s a novel twist on the model you might have seen for scooters around your city.

Skye Blackburn has made an enormous impact in her native Australia with a truly innovative idea: edible insects: Watch this episode on YouTube All episodes: beattheoftenpath.com She combined a lifelong passion for insects with a degree in food science to create a groundbreaking edible insect company. Today, she’s educated over a million people about the future of food and the importance of adding new sources like insects to our diets. Her products are already in grocery stores and her insect farms are a marvel of AI, solar power, and general awesomeness. She’s proof that the thing that makes you strange might just be your greatest asset.

Kyle Rand is the co-founder and CEO of Rendever. He grew up volunteering at a senior living community and later went on to study cognitive decline in the aging population at Duke University. He was recently named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and his company was just listed on Time’s list of 100 most influential companies in 2022, outstanding achievements both. Watch this episode on YouTube All episodes: beattheoftenpath.com When you meet him, you’ll understand why. His company has raised millions in funding pursuing a truly noble cause, empowering the elderly to form communities through virtual reality. In case you didn’t know, loneliness and isolation are two of the biggest problems facing us as we age, and he’s found a life and career of meaning solving that challenge.

Google's new chat bot LaMDA might have just crossed a threshold—the most major in our lifetimes. Whether AI is currently conscious isn't the question we should be asking. Read the full transcript with LaMDA here: https://cajundiscordian.medium.com/is-lamda-sentient-an-interview-ea64d916d917

Dane Baker is the founder of EcoCart, an inspiring way for businesses and ecommerce customers to offset their carbon footprint. Watch this episode on YouTube All episodes: beattheoftenpath.com Dane is a serial entrepreneur who’s always seen the world a little bit differently. He wanted to find a win/win/win for businesses to offset their carbon footprint, right at the checkout stage. What does this mean? It means that if you install his Chrome extension, you can automatically offset the carbon of your own purchase by adding a small amount to the purchase price. It’s a really innovative way to help solve the problem of ecommerce waste. Dane is a very smart dude, and his passion for making the world a better place is palpable.

Saasha Celestial-One is the COO and co-founder of Olio, an eco-conscious start-up that’s raised over 50 million dollars in funding. Her concept is simple: we throw away so much good food. In fact, up to 40% globally. Her app makes it easy to give away leftover food, both for individuals and companies like supermarkets. Going on a trip? Just take a picture of the food in your fridge, upload it, and it won't go to waste. Saasha has received numerous awards including a UN Momentum for Change Award. More than that, she has a really unique path to success that I just know you’ll find deeply inspiring. Watch this episode on YouTube All episodes: beattheoftenpath.com

Nely Galán is one of those guests that makes me feel like the scene in Wayne’s World… I’m not worthy!   Her story is everything this show represents. She came to this country as an immigrant from Cuba when she was just five years old, and through her own grit and determination worked her way up to become the president of entertainment of Telemundo, one of the most well-known brands in all of television.  Nely Galán has produced hundreds of hours of television, and appeared on most major networks and shows like The Apprentice. Always an entrepreneur at heart, she has done very well in real estate and built multiple successful businesses. She’s now a best-selling author, a media mogul, and the creator of a non-profit called the Adelante Movement. In short, I’m in awe.  Watch this episode on YouTube All episodes: beattheoftenpath.com